HANEUL woke up early the next day. Although the announcent said they should gather at 8 AM, he was already awake by 6. The alarm clock he brought with him definitely ca in handy. After a quick shower, he headed out toward the dining hall.
He was planning to et Robin and Seojun there for breakfast. However, Robin had ntioned he might not make it, as he could still be sleeping at this hour. If that happened, Robin told them to go ahead and eat without him.
Haneul had offered to wake Robin up, pointing out that it wouldn’t be a problem. Unlike their stay at the hotel, where they had shared a room with two or more people, he could easily head over to cabin number six and knock on the door. However, Robin had declined, insisting it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t want to trouble Haneul and joked that it might beco a habit if he relied on him to wake him up. Besides, with this kind of competition, Robin reasoned, it was better to learn to wake up early on his own.
As Haneul walked down the corridor toward the dining hall, a conversation he’d had with Robin the previous night ca to mind. It had taken place just after they parted ways with Seojun.
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"Hey, Haneul, can I ask you sothing?" Robin asked suddenly as they walked back to their cabins.
Haneul glanced at the other and nodded. "Sure, what is it, hyung?"
Robin leaned in closer and whispered, "Have any Alphas at your school ever shown romantic interest in you?"
Haneul nearly stumbled over his own feet when he heard the question. He shot Robin an incredulous look and replied, perhaps a little too quickly, "No, of course not."
Robin raised an eyebrow, looking both surprised and confused by Haneul’s response. "Really? Are the Alphas around you blind? Or are there just no Alphas at your school?"
It was then that Haneul realized his reaction had been the strange one, not Robin’s question. He had montarily forgotten that this wasn’t his previous world—this was a place where secondary genders existed. As an Oga, it was perfectly natural for Alphas, regardless of whether they were male or female, to show that kind of interest in him. Especially with the ’gift’ Yeomra had given him. So, to say that there wasn’t one would surely be strange.
Maybe there had been Alphas at school who were interested in him in that way after he manifested as an Oga. But ever since arriving in this world, he’d never taken the ti to think about things like that. After all, his priority had been preventing his family from experiencing the sa tragedy they had in his previous world. Beyond that, his focus was entirely on pursuing his dream. How could he possibly have ti to think about anything else?
Explaining all of that to Robin was out of the question; the other might think he was crazy if he tried. In the end, he could only co up with an excuse.
"I think it’s because I only recently manifested as an Oga," he said. "I ntioned that before, right? And when I say ’recently,’ I an really recent—just over a month ago. That’s probably why."
An expression of sudden realization flashed across Robin’s face after hearing Haneul’s explanation. "Oh, that makes sense now."
"What makes sense?"
"Nothing," Robin said with a shrug. Then added with a playful smile, "I just want you to know, if you ever need romantic advice, you can always co to . Sure, my last two relationships ended in complete disaster, but I still know a thing or two about romance. I an, I am French, after all."
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Although the conversation had taken a strange turn, it made Haneul realize that there might really be Alphas who could be interested in him in a romantic way. The idea felt foreign to him. With how his life had unfolded in his previous world, he’d never had the ti or opportunity to think about such things. In fact, he’d never had that kind of relationship with anyone before. He didn’t even know what his preferences were.
Since he had manifested as an Oga, there was a possibility that his partner could be a male or female Alpha—or even a male Beta. Whichever it might be, Haneul couldn’t really imagine it. No matter who his partner was, he knew that, as an Oga, he’d inevitably end up being the one on the bottom. And he’s not talking about so social hierchy, but the thing people do mostly inside a bedroom.
Yes, sex.
Haneul closed his eyes, feeling a wave of mortification wash over him. This was all Robin’s fault for bringing up such thoughts—he would have been perfectly content staying oblivious. While he had reluctantly co to terms with being an Oga, confronting the realities that ca with it was an entirely different matter. Still, he supposed it was better to face it now. At the very least, it would make him more self-aware during the competition.
After all, there were plenty of Alphas on this ship. Even though he was sure that most of the contestants were focused on debuting, there was always the chance of an outlier—soone who might be interested in sothing else entirely. From now on, he needed to be careful and make sure his actions didn’t lead to any misunderstandings. The last thing he wanted was for so Alpha to confess their feelings because they mistakenly thought he liked them back.
Haneul let out a long sigh. He couldn’t believe he was even thinking about these things. If anyone could read his mind, they might think he was so egotistical person sitting on a high horse. But because of Yeomra’s ’gift’, there was a real possibility that soone might actually confess to him. So, it was better to stay cautious and avoid any misunderstandings.
As Haneul approached the dining hall, he spotted Seojun standing by the door. The mont Seojun noticed him, a wide smile spread across his face, and he gave him an enthusiastic wave.
"Good morning, Haneul!" he greeted.
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